Visions of sugarplums, Candy Canes, and Tracy Boys
by Maxine Angeln
Summary: The Christmas after the Tracy boys mother dies. Jeff is trying to see if he can make it through this event. Please leave any comments! Special thnx to my bff Catherine and her great pressure for me to get this done. Love ya girl! and Bobbles. u rock 2
1. Chapter 1

Visions of sugarplums, chocolate cakes, cherry pie, and Tracy Boys

"Santa is coming," Jeff Tracy said, "So you two better go to sleep."

"But I'm not tired," Gordon wined. "I want more cake!"

"Daddy..." Alan whispered, "What if Santa can't make it to our house tonight?"

"Alan, don't worry," Jeff said. "I know Santa will make it. He always has before hasn't he?"

"I think so..." Alan said, his eyes drooping and he let out a yawn.

Jeff kissed both boys on the forehead before flipping on the small night light in between the two beds. "Go to sleep, and morning will come faster," he said.

"I love you Daddy," Alan whispered.

"Love ya Dad," Gordon said. "I still want cake," he mumbled.

"I love you too boys," Jeff said, "And no cake tonight Gordon."

Gordon sighed, but said, "Okay."

Jeff smiled and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Two down, three to go, he thought and walked down the hall to Virgil's room. He opened the door to see his son covered in ribbon and tape with four brown boxes around him.

"Hi Dad!" Virgil said, clearly happy.

"Virge... What are you doing?" Jeff said.

"Making presents," Virgil said cutting another long strand of ribbon and trying to tie it.

"Okay, just be careful and hurry up," Jeff said, "I'll be back soon."

"You can't rush perfection, Dad," Virgil said.

Jeff just smiled and walked out of the room leaving the door open slightly. He walked to the next room in which John was laying on his bed with a couple books around him and covering his face was the book The Gift of the Magi. "Time for lights out," he said and John looked up.

"Five more minutes, please? John said, with a look that made Jeff's heart throb.

God, this boy has me wrapped around his finger, doesn't he? Jeff thought to himself. "Just five," he said and walked out of the room. Again, Jeff walked a bit further down the hall to he eldest son, Scott's, room. He opened the door and looked at the disaster zone inside. Clothes hanging on the back of the desk chair, papers cluttered into huge piles, books teetering dangerously in a huge pile in the corner of the room. I can't even look under the bed, Jeff thought, how did I let this happen?

Scott looked up from the game he was playing on his DS and after seeing it was only his dad looked back down again. "Wassup?" he said.

"Nothing much," Jeff said. "Just bedtime."

"Ewww..." Scott said. "I don't want to go to bed. It's Christmas! Let's be joyful and merry!"

"And tired in the morning," Jeff said, getting a big eye roll out of Scott. "Five more minutes and I want you in bed, alright?"

Scott puffed out his cheeks and let the air out, making a raspberry sound, but nodded.

"Good boy," Jeff said and went to check on Virgil. Jeff walked into Virgil's room to see him stacking four beautifully wrapped boxes on top of each other.

"See Dad? You can't rush perfection!" Virgil said with a huge smile.

Jeff laughed and nodded. "Good night Virge," He said, kissed Virgil on the forehead, shut off the light and closed the door.

"John, bedtime," Jeff said, as he reached his son's door. He looked inside and John was already in bed. Always the one I can trust to listen to me, he thought.

"'Night Dad. I love you," John said, in a tired voice.

" Good night, Johnny. I love you, too," Jeff said, "Now get some rest. Morning will be here soon."

"Yeah! Christmas!" John said, enthused, but tired.

Jeff walked out of John's room and closed the door. He was dreading another trip into the disaster zone but need to make sure Scott was going to sleep. He hesitantly opened the door to see Scott dancing in a silly fashion listening to music on the radio.

Scott whirled around and noticed his dad just standing there. He gave a sheepish grin and hit the off button on the radio. Jeff raised his eyebrows and Scott pulled off his shirt and jeans and jumped in bed. "G' night," Scott said. "Love ya."

"Good Night, Scottie," Jeff said, "Love you, too. Get some rest." He flipped of the light and grabbed Scott's DS to make sure he didn't get up and grab it in the middle of the night. Scott groaned and turned over facing away from his dad. Jeff shut the door and walked down the hall to his bedroom. He stopped at a picture of the family and he thought, Oh, honey I wish you were still here.

Jeff went to the closet where all the presents lay. Grabbing as many as he could, he hurried through the hallway, the kitchen and the dining room to the family room where the huge, brightly-lit Christmas tree stood. After gently setting the gifts under the tree, he hurried back to his bedroom closet and did the same thing. By the time he had of the gifts under the tree he must have walked back and forth seven times.

Sighing he undressed and got ready for bed. Lying down in bed he tried to make up a plan to make it through the gift opening process of tomorrow. Slowly he fell asleep knowing it would only be a matter of time until the boys woke him up.


	2. Chapter 2

"Dad!" Gordon yelled into his dad's ear. "I want to open presents!"

Jeff opened his eyes not at all surprised to see Gordon's face only inches from his. Sitting up all the way he took in a deep breath and knew the moment of torture had come. It was hard enough with two adults, he thought, now it's just me. Jeff saw that all the boys were sitting on the bed. John looked like he was doing everything he could to not fall back asleep; Alan looked extremely excited; Gordon also looked extremely excited; Virgil looked like he would start opening the presents by himself; and Scott looked- well, Scott looked like Scott. Tall and bored. Jeff sighed.

John let out a yawn and Gordon stood up and started jumping on bed. "Presents! Presents! Presents!" Gordon sang to the tune of "The clean up song" even though it didn't really work.

Jeff smiled a tired smile and pealed the sheets off, not wanting to leave the warm, cozy bed. "Fine," he said, climbing out of the bed and stretching.

"Yea!" screamed Gordon, and he zipped out of the room and down the hall, eventually coming to a halt right before the couch.

Alan ran behind him along with Virgil. John made, at a snail pace, an attempt to get off the bed and all the way to the couch, eventually making it, but only after Scott gave a tiny push that said 'Get going!' and Scott couldn't help but be excited after seeing the presents.

"Me first," Alan begged his eyes melting Jeff's heart, "Scott always gets to go first."

"Sure buddy," Jeff said, looking around the kitchen for coffee.

Alan let out a squeak of happiness and attacked the pile of gifts looking for one for him. Finding one he sat down and tried, very hard to get the rapidly made ribbon off. When John tried to help him, Alan just swatted his hand away. John withdrew his hand with surprise. Normally Alan would welcome any kind of help from him.

John shrugged it off and looked around the tree to find a present addressed to him.

Alan finally got the ribbon and the paper off and smiled at the transformer toy in the box. Jeff sighed, because Alan's new favourite thing was Transformers.

John started tugging at the wrapping paper and seemed surprised that it was a book. Hamlet to be exact. "Thanks Dad!" he said, with happy shining eyes.

Jeff smiled and nodded, thanking God that his son was happy with the book. He had had no idea what book to get him.

Gordon ran back to the couch with three gift boxes in his arms.

"Woah! Slow down, buddy!" Jeff said, "One at a time!"

Gordon looked over to his dad for a second then pulled the wrapping off in only a matter of seconds. This kid was ready to open everybody's gifts. Smiling in delight at his Star Wars Lego set, he moved on to the next present.

Jeff grabbed them and gave him a pat on the shoulder and said, "Let the others open some of their presents first."

Gordon sighed, but nodded, as Scott handed Virgil one of his presents and took one of his own.

Virgil shook the box as if trying to identify the object inside before opening it. Gordon tapped his foot impatiently earning himself a glare from Virgil. Slowly, and obviously to annoy Gordon, Virgil pealed off a piece of tape not ripping the paper at all. Gordon looked ready to run over and open the gift for him. Then it seemed that Virgil couldn't take it any longer, and he tore open the gift, to see new paint brushes. He gave a happy smile and looked over at Scott who gave a groan and looked at his dad in pain. In his hand was a book called "How to take control of your life."

John couldn't help but let out a giggle and Virgil gave a smile. Gordon and Alan were to young to understand but Jeff was sure their reactions wouldn't be too nice either. Scott smiled at his dad and said, "If this is my gift you should be worried about your gift."

Jeff was a little worried, but not too bad. I mean how much could a twelve-year old boy do? And he had other things to worry about. There was still a huge pile of gifts under that tree.


	3. Chapter 3

Wow! I made it through the gifts! Jeff thought, about twenty minutes later. Scott's gift was an empty box, a joke. The boys were playing with their new toys when the telephone rang. "I'll get it," Jeff said, knowing that he would've had to get it anyway. "Hello? This is the Tracy's."

"Jefferson! Are you still coming to my house for Christmas lunch?" A cheery voice said from the other line.

"Hey Mom. Yeah if we're still invited." Jeff answered.

"Well, of course you are! So did the boys enjoy their Christmas morning?" Grandma Tracy asked.

"I think so. It is sure a mess to clean up, though!"

"It was a mess to clean up when you were young too."

"Really? I don't remember it being too bad…"

"Of course you don't! You didn't have to clean it up!"

Jeff sighed and laughed, "True, true."

"Well, I'll see you later! I love you! Bye bye!"

"Love you mom. See you soon. Bye!"

"When are we going to Grandma's?" Virgil asked.

"After breakfast and a little after that," Jeff said, pouring his son a bowl of cereal and throwing a couple Pop-Tarts in the toaster.

"Did she get us presents?" Alan asked, running past making his Transformer toy "fly."

Jeff sighed and nodded, knowing how much his mom liked shopping for the boys.

"Lots?" Gordon asked, sitting down in one of the chairs at the dining room table.

"I don't know." Jeff said, thinking that the answer to his question was probably going to be yes.

Scott grabbed the Pop-Tarts out of the toaster and sat down at the table across from Gordon. "I hope so," He said, his mouth full, so it sounded more like, Vi fhwoop sco.

Jeff smiled and looked around for John. "John?" he yelled.

"Yes?" His son came in the kitchen, his nose in one of his many new books.

"Breakfast time," Jeff answered, "Put the book down, and come and eat."

John walked over to the dining table and set his book down.

"Not so tired anymore, huh?" Jeff asked John.

John shrugged, "'little bit."

Jeff ushered Alan over to the table and Virgil brought his bowl over. Jeff set some bowls on the table, along with the milk, orange juice, spoons, and a couple different kinds of cereal.

"I love Christmas," Alan said, and Gordon and Virgil nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," John said, "Christmas rocks!"

"I can't wait to read my book," Scott said with a laugh.

John and Virgil gave him funny looks and Gordon and Alan both looked confused. Jeff sighed. At least it was all boys he had to deal with. No girls. That made it a little easier on him. And he had his mother. Maybe next year's Christmas would go a little smoother. But he had to give himself a little credit. I mean this was the Tracy Family's Christmas we're talking about.


End file.
